Automatic joint breaker



y 1932- P. F MURRAY 1,856,503

AUTOMATIC JOINT BREAKER Filed May 5, 1929 Patented ay 3, 1932 UNITED.STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC JOINT BREAKER Application filed May 15,

M invention relates to an automatic joint brea or for rotary welldrilling rigs and the principal objects of my invention are, togenerally improve from and simplify the construction of the existinforms of automatic joint breakers, to provi e a joint breaker that 1srelatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and whichis veryeifectivein performing the functions for which it .10 isintended. Y

Further objects of my invention are to provide a joint breaker of thecharacter referred to that is entirely automatic in its releaseoperation, to provide a construction that may be employed withpractically all standard forms of rotary drilling rigs and to provide ajoint breaker that will permit the tongs with which it is associated tobe applied to the tubes or pipe in any position, thereby greatlyfacilitatmg the work incident to the breaking of the jomts.

With the foregoing and other objects in view myinvention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts thatwill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which:

.F1 1 is a front elevational view of a joint brea or constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig.2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 7 1s a longitudinal section taken through the center of myimproved joint breaker.

Referring by numerals to the accompany- 4 ing drawings which illustratea practical embodiment of my invention 10 designates one of the uprightosts that forms a part of the framework of t e derrick and secured tosand post in any suitable manner, lpreferabl by means of bolts 11 is aplate 12 avmg a aring 13 that receives a constantly rotating line shaft14. y I

Rigidly fixed in any suitable manner upon theouter end of shaft 14 is aspool or 15, upon which is adapted to wmd a chain -or cable that may beused in drilling o rations r or in the operation of parts of the (hirig. This 15 is provided with an elongated 1929. Serial No. 883,308.

hub portion 16 that projects toward the bearing 13 and mounted on saidhub is a bronze bushing 17. Secured in any suitable manner on the innerend of hub 16 is a retainin ring 18. Arranged to slide freely upon theushing 17 is the hub portion 19 of a sheave 20 and secured in anysuitable manner to the periphery thereof is one end of a chain 21 thatpasses downwardly around the rear side of said sheave and thenceforwardly from the lower side thereof, and said chain is adapted to besecured to tongs that are utilized for breaking the joints in well tubesand pipes.

Projecting from the inner end of the spool 15 are lugs 21 that areadapted to engage corresponding lugs 22 that project from the adjacentend of hub 19 when the latter is moved outwardly toward drum 15.

Formed in the opposite end portion of hub 19 is a groove 23, into whichproject pins 24 that are carried b the lower ends of the arms of a yoke25 an the latter depending from the loweren of a lever 26.

Projecting outwardly from the upper and lower portions of plate 12 anddisposed above 76 and below the sheave 20 are horizontally disposed arms27 and the outer ends of these arms terminate in the same vertical planewith the inner end of spool 15.

Secured to the outer ends of the arms 27 and so projecting toward theflange on the inner end of spool 15 are guard fingers 28, which preventthe chain or cable that winds onto the spool from leaving the inner endthereof and dropping into the space between the spool and 86 sheave 20.

Formed on the outer portion of the arms 20 and rejecting toward theshaft that carries the s eave and spool are oppositely arranged lugs 29that function as stops for-combined so stop and cam lugs 30 that areformed on the outer face of sheave 20.

Lover 26 is fulcrumed on the upper one of the arms 27 and secured tosaid lever below its fulcrumed point is one end. of a retractile spring31, the opposite end of which spring is connected to plate 12. I

The normal tendency of'this spring 21 is to actuate yoke 25- so as tonormally pull sheave 20 away from spool 15.

Pivotally connected to the upper end of lever 26 is one end of a pullrod 32 that extends to a point where it may be conveniently reached byan operator.

The rear ends of lugs 30 are provided with inclined or beveled faces30", so that said lugs, in addition to functioning as stops for engagingthe stops 29 to limit the rotary movement of the sheave in onedirection, may also functionas cams to engage the inner faces of thelugs 29 and thereby automatically move the sheave away from spool 15 anddisengage lugs 22 from the lugs 21.

Under normal conditions the parts of a joint breaker occu y thepositions as illustrated in Fig. 1, wit the lugs 21 and 22 out ofengagement with each one and with the lugs 30 bearing against lugs 29which function as stops to limit the rotary movement of the sheave inone direction, or the direction in which it rotates when the chainunwinds from said sheave.

Spool 15 may receive a chain or cable that is utilized in hoisting orhauling operations and thus said spool, which is carried on theconstantly rotating shaft 14 may be utilized. in any desired manner.

In breaking a joint between pipe or tube sections the pipe tongs areapplied to the tube adjacent to the joint thereof and chain 21 thatextends from beneath sheave 20 is connected to said tongs. Theoperatorthen pulls on rod 32 thereby swinging lever 26 or its fulcrum andthrough yoke 25, hub 19 and sheave 20 that carries chain 21 will bemoved outwardly on bushing 17 until lugs 21 engage lugs 22 and therebytransmit rotary motion to the sheave.

As the sheave is thus rotated chain 21 will be wound thereupon with aquick pulling or jerking movement and such movement being imparted tothe tongs will swing the same so as to break the joint adjacent to thepoint where the tongs are applied.

When sheave 20 has been rotated approximately a half turn the inclinedfaces 30 on lugs 30 will strike a ainst the inner faces of the stop lugs29 an as a result of this engagement sheave 20 will be forced inwardlyaway from the drum so as toeffect a disengagement of the lugs 22 fromlugs 21 and the I shaft carrying the spool 15 on which lugs 21 areformed, may now continue to rotate without imparting rotary motion tothe sheave.

As the chain is subsequently unwound from the sheave to reengage thetongs the lugs 30 will strike against the lugs 29, thereby limiting thereverse rotary motion of the sheave and with the lugs 30 in engagementwith the lugs 29, the sheave and its chain will be in position for asubsequent joint breaking operation (see Figs. 1 and 2).

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a well tube joint breaker thatis relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture andwhich may be advantageously employed on practically all rotary rillingrigs for breaking the joints between the sections of drilling tubes orpipes. I

An especially'desirable feature of my invention is the arrangement andconstruction that permits the tongs to be applied to the tube orpipesections in any position.

My improved joint breaker has relatively few operating parts, therebyreducing the liability of becoming inoperative through failure of itsparts to function properly and the joint breaker, while not in service,in no wise interferes with the operation. of the winding drum or spool15.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved joint breaker may bemade and substituted for those herein shown and described withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a constantljsrotating member having a clutchface, of'a chain 7 carrying sheave loosely mounted on said constantlyrotating member and provided with a clutch face that is adapted toengage the clutch face on said constantly rotating memsheave so as todisengage the clutch face thereon from the clutch face on the constantlyrotating member.

2. The combination with a constantly .rotating member having a clutchface, of a sheave loosely mounted on said member and provided with aclutch face that opposes the clutch face on said member, means formoving said sheave lengthwiseon said member to effect an engagement 'ofthe clutch faces, a spring for resisting 'the movement of the sheavetoward the clutch face on the constantly rotating member and meansincluding combined. cam and stop lugs on said sheave and fixed stopswith which said lugs are adapted to engage for automatically moving thesheave lengthwise upon said member to effect a disengagement of theclutch faces at the termi nation of a predetermined degree of rotationof said sheave and for stopping the sheave at a predetermined point whenreversely rotated.

3. The combination with a constantly rotating member having a clutchface, of a sheave loosely mounted on said member and provided with aclutch face that opposes the clutch face on said member, means formoving said sheave lengthwise on said member to effect an engagement ofthe clutch faces, a spring for yieldingly resisting the movement of thesheave toward the clutch face on the constantly rotating member, meanscomprising combined cam and stop lugs on said sheave and a pair of fixedlugs for" automatically moving the sheave lengthwise upon said member toeffect a disengagement of the clutch faces at the termination of apredetermined degree of rotation of said sheave and for stopping thesheave when reversely rotated to a predetermined point and guard fingersarranged between the fixed stops and Ehe inner end of the constantlyrotating mem- 4. The combination with a constantly rotating shaft, of aspool fixed on said shaft, the inner end of said spool being providedwith a clutch face, a hub extending inwardly from said spool, a sheavearranged for sliding movement on said hub, a clutch face formed on thehub of said sheave, which clutch face opposes the clutch face onthe"spool,manually operable means for moving the sheave toward the spoolto effect an engagement of the clutch faces, a spring for resisting themovement of the sheave toward the spool and means comprising combinedcam and stop lugs on the sheave and a pair of fixed lugs with which saidcombined cam and stop lugs are adapted to engage for automaticallyshifting the sheave away from the spool to efiect a disengagement of theclutch faces at the termination of a redetermined degree of rotation ofsaid s eave and for stopping the sheave when the same has been reverselyrotated for a predetermined degree.

5. The combination with a constantly ro-. tating shaft, of a membercarried by said shaft and provided with a clutch face, a sheave looselymounted on said shaft and provided with a clutch face that is adapted toengage the clutch face on said rotating member, means for moving saidsheave so that the clutch face thereon engages the clutch ,face on saidrotating member, a pair'of oppositely disposed combined cam and stoplugs on the side face of the sleeve and a pair of fixed stops with whichsaid lugs-are adapted to engage.

6. The combination with a constantly rotating shaft, of a spool carriedby said shaft,

a clutch face on the inner end of said spool, a

sheave mounted for sliding movement toward and away from said spool, aclutch face on said sheave that is adapted to engage the clutch face onthe spool, a pair of fixed stops arranged on opposlte sides of saidshaft, a

air of combined cam and stop lugs on the ace of said sheave and adaptedto engage said fixed stops for holding the sheave against ro-

